Why we care (and why you should, too!)

Think back on your summers as a child.

Were your childhood summers filled with long car rides? Trips to the beach, summer camp, or maybe family vacations that included museum visits? Were you always reading something, or learning something along the way?

Now, imagine summer without any of those things.

Sounds boring, right? Unfortunately, it is a reality for far too many children. Many families simply cannot afford summer camps and vacations, much less those that include museum visits that keep children’s brains engaged and teach them new things about the world around them. More starkly, those same families often cannot afford to buy books, and may have trouble accessing the library because of geography, transportation, work schedules, or other factors.

Think again.

Economist James Heckman, of the University of Chicago, has documented the multiple negative effects that children suffer due to a simple lack of investment in early childhood education. These negative impacts are borne by society at large in the form of high unemployment and high incarceration rates.

On the positive side of things, children who have access to early educational supports are more ready to learn when they reach middle and high school. They are more likely to earn a high school diploma, more likely to be employed and less likely to end up in jail. In short, small investments early in a child’s schooling can reap rewards that “more than pay for themselves in better education, health and economic outcomes.” These outcomes have larger effects on the well being of our society – for you, your family, and your neighbors.

Join us in this effort to help at-risk children. It’s as simple as giving them books.

PRIVACY and TERMS OF USEBooks for Keeps is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Athens, Georgia, serving schools in Athens, Atlanta, and beyond.Contact us via post at P.O. Box 49761, Athens, GA 30604, by phone at (706) 410-1912, or via email at info@booksforkeeps.org